Sunday, September 30, 2007

Another weekend over. Another new week to begin. This week will be a long one, too, with neither me or Dad home on Friday. But it was a nice weekend. You and I started it off by taking a walk around the neighbourhood on Friday morning. Actually you, me and puppy. It was so lovely we went to a grass park where we played hide and seek, hid in the spruce trees, layed on the grass and played in the crunchy leaves. As we made our way home, you found a cozy piece of driveway where you and puppy and your pile of rocks sat until the man on the riding lawnmower at the church about three houses away started coming in our direction. You started to panic, grabbed puppy and what rocks you could quickly grab and said, "Oh no. Gonna get puppy, rocks. Let's go, mommy!" Pretty much the same thing transpired when your dad brought out the vacuum on Saturday - except this time you had to protect your bowl of popcorn.

Look wayyyyy up.

Saturday morning brought the arrival of our long-awaited king-size mattress. So Dad put together the base/headboard we got when we were in Calgary while I drew outlines of your (always) naked body with a Sharpie onto packing cardboard. Then the real test began - we layed down for a family nap just after one and didn't wake up until 4:15! Now we know that Nana isn't drugging you to keep you down for so long since you finally did it in our presence.

You get the best ideas - like sitting at the end of someone's driveway so that you can put down your little pile of rocks (right) and have a rest.

Anyway, it was our plan to go to Montana's for supper but no one told us there was a Rider game and all their fans needed to eat out beforehand, filling every restaurant in the south end. We did manage to squeeze into Pasta Prima which was good because you always order, "Noonals, peez" anyway. And it was good. I think we don't go there because we prefer booths so you can roam back and forth while still being contained. But to our surprise, you almost sat in your chair with a booster seat the entire time. And like you always do, you ate your penne alfredo like we don't feed you otherwise. Then you had two big bites of my chicken pesto pizza and half of your strawberry ice cream. Out in the van, you wanted to end all the eating with a piece of gum because you love to chew gum and you chew it well.

Today we were up at 6 and at the grcoery store just after 9. Every time we get groceries, you seem to make your way to the bakery door to wait for someone to give you a cookie. Today it was chocolate chip and marshmallows. While I'd never imagined you could put little marshmallows into cookies, it was awesome. And as always, I usually have to go it alone while you and your dad look at/play with toys. Not that I mind... And tonight we took Skye for a brisk, fresh walk. You ate a whole container of popcorn, your favourite snack, a little box of Smarties and a whole sippy cup of warm milk. Because it gets dark so early, you are convinced that it is very late and you must get your bedtime rituals underway much earlier than we would have decided. You were in teh tub by 7:30 and asleep in your new double bed by 8:30 - which is much nicer for the three of us to read stories in without someone laying half on the floor.

And you fell out of our new, big bed late last night. I remember hearing a thud followed by a wahhhhh. When I looked, you were kinda bent backwards with your legs flat on the floor and the rest of you ninety degrees smushed up against my night table. You didn't remember it today so it couldn't have been too traumatic. I suppose I'll pad the floor tonight in anticipation of you crawling in.

Monday, September 24, 2007

Some days I get tired just looking at you. You have been jumping for four days. Sometimes you get sad and say, "Crib go?" We tell you that you are a big girl now with a big girl bed and that we took apart the crib because you slept in it for less than five hours - in your entire life. But we do have the mattress and it is a wonderful springy platform.

You jump on the bed, on your crib mattress, the mini trampoline, on the couch, you jump down each stair on your descent, you jump up the stairs holding our hands, you jump in the pool. You even "super jump" off of the kitchen counter into our arms. Sometimes we have to jump with you. Sometimes you lay on the trampoline and I jump with a foot on each side of you to bounce you. Sometimes you jump three feet forward and hit my body with blunt force.

You are all about jumping. It is how you burn all your calories and never gain weight.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

You woke up this morning at 6:00 when Nana phoned to tell us the power had gone out. While we lounged in bed to delay the inevitable day, you reclined against your dad pointing to and naming his parts. "Arm. Sleeve. Chest. Boobies. Neck. Chin. Mouth. Eyebrow."

For lack of a better term, you have been in training to use the toilet. Maybe six or more months ago, we bought a potty and put it in the bathroom. The reaction to it was rather dismal, even violent if we suggested you use it. So, we never mentioned it but we read books about the potty and they were by far the favourites for awhile.

One day about three or four months ago you wanted to use it. You peed and I jumped up and down and clapped my hands because I was so proud. And watching me clap and jump and praise you was reserved only for those times. And you liked that part so much that you would sit on the potty and say, "Jump. Clap." Nana would have to jump and clap and Dad would have to jump and clap. The look on your face was one of such extreme pride.

It's been pretty good and only getting better, too. You probably make it about three-quarters of the time now. When you are totally distracted or just plain tired, you'll have an accident. Or like when you were playing computer games with Nana last week and you peed while sitting on her knee! Usually, you'll say, "Pee! Hurry, Mommy, hurry. Pee!" So we scoop you up, run really fast and get you there just in time. It's easier for you to know when to go when you are naked. (In reality, that's most mornings after you take off your pajamas and diaper.) I don't know why it's easier when you are without pants. And if you have a diaper, you'll pee in it without a second thought. Mysteries of life, I guess.

Fortunately (actually it's quite unfortunate) you rarely poop so we never worry about not making it to the toilet in time for that. And that's a whole other story... One I probably won't tell.

I always sing that awful Pull-ups song from the commercials, "I'm a big kid now!" Oddly enough, it's beginning to be true.

Saturday, September 08, 2007

Lately you've been shunning everyone - especially Dad - in favour of mom and only mom. A couple examples:

"Say hi to daddy." You respond with, "Hi Mommy.""Can Daddy have a kiss?" "Kiss Mommy!""Do you want to play choo choos with Daddy?" "Play with Mommy!"

And my favourite from the other day after work... You were chillin' on the couch with mommy when dad came from the kitchen where he was making supper and sat beside us. You gave him an angry kick and screeched, "No – go make noodles, Dad!" Put him in his place.

Last weekend I was cleaning out your closet when I found this size 2 snowsuit - fits perfect with lots of wiggle room. It made me happy that we don't have to buy one this year. You, on the other hand, were absolutely crushed that there was no snow - even though it is nearing the end of summer. Soon enough, kiddo.

Sometimes you try and feed us whatever it is that you're not really eating. You reached an offering across the table at your dad and said slyly, "Come on, dad." Quite the coaxing; you should be a little salesperson.

***

This morning we threw some peanuts out for the two squirrels that had ran across the power line and down into our yard. Later we were eating peanuts in bed (while Dad painted the bedroom the third different colour in a week). Since you liked peanuts, I was trying to make the connection between those and peanut butter. I said, "I like peanut butter on bread and toast." You said, "Me, too, Mom." Though you didn't mean it and I couldn't get you to accept the offer of a pb&j sandwich, it was one of the first times you said 'me' instead of 'Yaya'.

***

You have been fairly obsessed with Canada flags, which you pronounce Can-a-day flags. You see them everywhere. On licence plates, on houses, on stores, on books. The cutest are the "tiny baby Canaday flags" which only need to be smaller than you.

Saturday, September 01, 2007

You love the picture of yourself talking on the phone in the masthead. You point it out everytime you turn on the computer, which is often. You probably spend more time on the computer than your dad does at home. And you probably know how to use it better than Nana. Every morning you climb up onto the computer chair and turn on the computer, ready to start your day. You just need to work on your mouse(y) skills.

This morning you and your dad were perusing YouTube, as the two of you do alot. This is currently your favourite video. Makes you smile everytime. And how catchy is that song!

While you were watching another video, you quite deliberately turned down the volume two notches. Your dad keeps it loud because he must be losing his hearing at the old age of 29.

You are also obsessed with all the movies of yourself that we post on Vimeo. The other day we went wayyy back to when you were 13 months old. You could say daddy way before you ever said mama. You also love to watch yourself sing and oh, the horsey ride in Calgary.

Speaking of horsey, you have been adding "y" (or "ie") to the end of everything. It's kind of cute how you have developed your own flair for language, but it really throws us sometimes. Like when you hold up a stick and call it a sticky. And how we live in a housey. "Yaya's housey." Kissy and huggy. What do you want to eat? Icey. Nana has become Nanny - which she'll even answer to.

Tonight we were sitting in the sandbox when you found a sticky...a stick. You stuck it into the hole of a crab squeaky toy and started singing, "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to mom." It surprised us that you could devise this all on your own. But then again, you can also say complex things like pygmy marmoset. I supposed you'll never cease to amaze...